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DIGEST   AND    REFERENCES 


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COMPILED   BY 

EDWARD  C.  LYTTON 

MAYORS   SECRETARY 


DES  MOINES,  IOWA 
SEPTEMBER,  1910 


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Digest  of  The  Des  Moines  Plan 

By  Mayor  James  R.  Hanna,  Des  Moines,  Iowa 


The  Commission  form  of  government  abolishes  ward  lines, 
party  politics  and  the  old  division  of  city  officers  into  legisla- 
tive, executive  and  judicial  departments.  In  place  of  this  ic 
substitutes  a  board,  consisting  of  the  mayor  and  four  commis- 
sioners, who  manage  the  affairs  of  the  city  just  as  a  board  of 
directors  manage  the  business  of  a  bank  or  any  large  corpora- 
tion, who  are  invested  with  all  the  powers  of  city  government 
and  who  are  elected  by  the  people  of  the  whole  city,  but  with- 
orut  any  party  designation.  These  five  men  divide  the  duties  of 
the  city  government  among  themselves  into  five  departments  of 
Public  Affairs,  Accounts  and  Finances,  Public  Safety,  Streets 
and  Public  Improvements,  and  Parks  and  Public  Property.  They 
then  elect  all  the  subordinate  officers  necessary  to  the  conduct- 
ing of  the  city  business,  such  as  Chief  of  Police,  Police  Judge, 
City  Clerk,  City  Engineer,  City  Treasurer,  City  Auditor,  etc. 
These  subordinate  officers  may  be  discharged  at  any  time  far 
any  misconduct  or  lack  of  attention  to  duties.  All  other  subor- 
dinates except  common  laborers  are  selected  under  civil  service 
rules  administered  by  a  Civil  Service  Commission,  and  are  re- 
movable only  for  misconduct  or  lack  of  attention  to  duties,  or 
activity  in  political  matters. 

The  four  councilmen  and  mayor  act  as  the  administrative 
heads  of  their  respective  departments,  and  also  constitute  the 
city  council  and  as  such  legislate  for  the  city. 

The  councilmen  under  the  Des  Moines  plan  are  elected  for  a 
period  of  two  years  and  in  the  following  manner: 

Any  citizen  Avho  can  secure  the  signatures  of  twenty-five  vot- 
ers vouching  for  his  character  may  become  a  candidate  for 
mayor  or  commissioner.  From  among  these  candidates  the 
two  receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes  for  mayor  in  the 
primary  become  candidates  for  mayor  in  the  final  election,  and 
the  eight  receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes  for  commission- 
er become  the  final  candidates  for  commissioners.  Then  in 
the  final  election,  occurring  two  weeks  later,  the  one  receivin£. 
the  highest  number  of  votes  for  mayor  becomes  mayor  and  the 
four  receiving  the  highest  number  of.  votes  for  commissioners 
are  elected  to  these  offices.  These  five  men  at  their  first  meet- 
ing proceed  to  elect  the  subordinate  city  officers  and  the  new 
council  is  then  ready  to  conduct  the  business  of  the  city. 

It  will  be  seen  that  directness  and  simplicity  are  the  main 
characteristics  of  the  Des  Moines  plan  of  commission  govern- 
ment. The  great  purposes  are  to  make  the  city  government 
feel  responsive  to  public  opinion  and  also  to  make  it  efficient 
in  administration.  To  carry  out  these  two  fundamental  ideas 
two  other  great  principles  have  directed  nearly  all  the  details 

—4- 


of  our  charter,  viz:  to  confer  upon  the  governing  body  great 
power,  and  to  ho_d  the  govein^^ng  body  strictly  responsible  for 
the  right  use  of  that  power.  Publicity  and  efficiency  are  thus 
the  watchwords  of  the  Des  Moines  plan. 

Candidates  must  make  a  public  statement  of  their  campaign 
expenses,  there  can  be  no  secret  meetings  of  the  city  council, 
every  ordinance  appropriating  money  must  be  on  public  file  for 
seven  days  before  it  becomes  effective,  all  franchises  must  be 
submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  for  approval  before  they  be* 
come  operative,  officers  must  have  no  secret  obligations  to  pub- 
lic service  companies  in  the  way  of  passes,  special  rates,  or 
free  services,  etc.  These  specific  provisions  for  publicity  have 
created  a  general  spirit  of  bringing  everything  in  connection 
with  the  city  government  out  into  the  open  light.  Campaigns 
are  conducted  practically  altogether  in  open  meetings,  hundreds 
of  which  occur  in  every  city  election.  Every  meeting  of  the 
city  council  is  minutely  reported  in  the  daily  newspapers.  The 
result  is  that  the  public  opinion  is  well  informed  and  intelli- 
gent, and  it  moulds  the  action  of  the  city  council,  and  the  pow- 
er of  this  public  opinion  is  rendered  still  more  effective  by  the 
existence  of  the  provisions  for  the  initiative,  referendum  and 
recall. 

Having  thus  provided  for  intelligent,  active  and  effective  pub* 
lie  opinion  that  makes  the  city  government  feel  entirely  re- 
sponsible to  it  for  its  every  act,  the  next  thing  of  importance, 
indeed  the  great  object,  Is  to  give  the  city  officers  every  pos- 
sible means  of  efficient  administration.  They  are,  therefore, 
given  every  power  of  city  government,  legislative,  executive  and 
judicial,  so  that  they  can  make  no  excuse  for  not  doing  their 
full  duty.  The  result  is  a  prompt,  efficient,  business-like  admin- 
istration of  municipal  affairs.  That  would  seem  to  be  some- 
thing like  the  fulfillment  of  democracy,  when  you  can  have  in 
telligent  public  opinion  making  itself  felt  in  a  business-like  ad- 
ministration of  public  business. 


205698 


List  of  References  to  Some  of  the  Best  Articles  Written 
on  The  Des  Moines  Plan  of  Commission  Government 


Berryhill,  James  G. 

Des  Moines  plan  argument. 

(Register  and  Leader,  Des  Moines,  February  9,  1909.) 
Bradford,  E.  S. 

Commission  government  in  American  cities. 

Commission  government  in  Houston. 

(In   Municipal  journal  and  engineer,  vol.   25,  Aug.   5,   1908, 

pp.  174-175.) 
"Difference  between  this  and  Galveston  plan." 
Galveston  plan  successful. 
(In  Municipal  journal  and  engineer,  vol.  24,  June  3,  1908, 

pp.  694-695.) 
(Address  E.   S.   Bradford,   Dept.  of  Commerce   and     Labor, 
Washington,  D.  C.) 
Campbell,  R.  A. 

Commission  system  of  municipal  government — Des  Moines 

plan. 
(In  American   political   science   review,   vol.    1,   Aug.,   1907, 
pp.  621-626.) 
Cheeseborough,  E.  R. 

The  success  of  the  Galveston  experience. 
(In  National  municipal  league.    Proceedings,  1906,  pp.   181 
193.) 
City  government  by  commission:   a     symposium     on     the     Gal- 
veston,  Newport  and  Des  Moines  plans. 
The  Galveston  plan,  by  William  Bennett  Munroe;   Newport 
plan  of  city  government,  by  F.  E.  Chadwick;   The  Des 
Moines  plan,  by  Silas  B.  Allen. 
(In  Chantauquan,  vol.  51,  June,  1908,  pp.  108-141.) 
City  government. 

(In  Outlook,  vol.  92,  Aug.  14,  1909,  pp.  865-866.) 
The  City  Hall. 

(Bulletin  of  the  League  of  American  municipalities;  pub- 
lished monthly  by  Municipal  Publishing  Co.,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.  Discussions  of  practical  operation  of  the  Des 
Moines  plan  and  other  commission  systems  in  each 
issue  since  January,  1909;  also  information  as  to  prog 
ress  of  this  plan  of  government  in  fifteen  or  twenty 
other  American  cities;  back  numbers  obtainable  from 
publishers. 
Debate  on  the  Commission  form  of  government. 

State  University  of  Iowa  vs.  University  of  Minnesota. 
(Published  by  The  Forensic  league,  Iowa  City,  Iowa.) 


Dehoney,  C. 

Breaking  down  ward  lines  in  cities. 

(In  World  Today,  v.  18,  p.  487-90,  May,  1910.) 

Deming,  H.  E. 

The  government  of  American  cities;  a  program  of  democ- 
racy. 

New  York:     G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  1909.     323  pp. 

The  Galveston  plan:   pp.  97-101,  123,  161. 
Des  Moines  plan  of  city  government. 

(In  World's  work,  vol.  18,  May,  1909,  p.  11,533.) 
Dillon,  S.  J. 

The  "Des  Moines  plan." 

(In  National  magazine,  vol.  26,  Sept.,  1907,  pp.  710-714.) 

The  Des  Moines  plan  of  city  government. 

(In  Overland  monthly,  vol.  50,  Oct.,  1907,  pp.  324-328.) 

Eliot,  C.  W. 

Municipal  government  by  commission. 

(In    South   Atlantic   quarterly,   vol.   8,   April,   1909,   pp.    174- 
183.) 
Fuller,  A.  M. 

Municipal  government  by  commission. 

(Address  A.  M.  Fuller,  Meadville,  Pa.) 
The  Galveston  idea. 

(In  Bliss,  W.  D.  P.,  ed.  New  encyclopedia  of  social  reform, 
pp.  529-530.     New  York,  1908.) 
The  Galveston  plan  of  city  government. 

(In  Municipal  engineering,  vol.  32,  April,  1907,  pp.  255-258.) 
Garvin,  L.  F.  C. 

Better  city  government. 

(In  Arena,  vol.  41,  January,  1909,  pp.  38-41.) 

Goodyear,  D. 

Example  of  Haverhill. 

(In  Independent,  vol.  66,  January  28,  1909,  pp.  194-195.) 
Government  of  cities  by  commission. 

(In  Municipal  engineering,  vol.  34,  Mar.,  1908,  pp.  160-162.) 

Haskel,  H.  J. 

The  Texas  idea;   city  government  by  a  board  of  directors. 
(In  Outlook,  vol.  85,  April  13,  1907,  pp.  839-843.) 

Hamilton,  John  J. 

The  Dethronement  of  the  city  boss. 

Pub.  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls,  New  York.  $1.20  net;  postpaid 
$1.30;  285  pages.  An  analysis  and  history  of  the  Dee 
Moines  plan,  with  showing  of  results  in  many  cities; 
text,  court  decisions,  etc.) 

Horn,  P.  W. 

City    schools   under    the   commission   form    of   city   govern- 
ment. 
(In  Educational  review,  vol.  37,  April,  1909,  pp.  362-374.) 

—7— 


James,  G.  W. 

Two  successful  experiments  in  civic  government:  Gal- 
veston and  Houston,  Texas.  1.  Galveston.  2.  Houston 
and  its  city  commission. 

(In   Arena,   vol.   38,   July,    1907,   pp.    8-13;    Aug.,     1907,     pp. 
144-149.) 
Jones,  Neal 

A  city  on  a  hill. 

(In  Circle  magazine,  July,  1909;   a  description  of    the     Des 
Moines  plan  and  results  obtained  by  it.) 
MacFarland,  Henry  B.  F. 

Address  on  the  commission  form  of  government. 
.  (Published  by  board  of  commissioners,  Washington,  D.  C.) 
MacGregor,  Ford  H. 

City  government  by  commission. 

Address  before  Wisconsin  league  of  municipalities. 

(Pub.   by   Municipal   reference  bureau,   Univ.   of   Wisconsin 
extension,  Madison,  Wis.) 
Moorhead,  F.  G. 

Bringing  dead  cities  to  life. 

(In  Technical  world,  vol.  12,  Feb.,  1910,  pp.  621-628.) 
Municipal  government. 

Two  discussions  before  the  Economic  club  of  Boston. 

(Pub.  by  Economic  club,  Boston,  Mass.) 
Municipal  government  by  commission. 

(In  Nation,  vol.  83,  Oct.  18,  1906,  p.  322.) 
Niday,  J.  E. 

The  Business  idea  in  municipal  government. 

(Address  J.  E.  Niday,  Asst.  City  Attorney,  Houston,  Texas.) 
Plan  vindicated  by  year's  work. 

(Register  and  Leader,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  March  28,  1909.) 
Proceedings   of  the   Providence   conference   for  good   city   goy- 

ernment  and  the  thirteenth  annual  meeting  of  the  National 

municipal  league. 
Robbins,  E.  Clyde 

Selected  articles  on  the  commission  plan  of  government. 

(In  Debater's  Hand  book  series.) 

Pub^'shed  by  H.  W.  Wilson  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
Russell,  C.  E. 

Sanity  and  democracy  for  American  cities. 

(In  Everybody's  magazine,     v.  22,  pp.  435-47,  April,    191©.) 
Sampson,  Henry  E. 

Des  Moines  plan  of  city  government. 

(In  Century  magazine,  vol.  74,  Oct.,  1907,  p.  270.) 

A  year  under  the  Des  Moines  plan. 

(Pub.  by  Greater  Des  Moines  Committee,  Des  Moines,  loTra.) 
Slosson,  W.  B. 

Government  by  commission  in  Texas. 

(In  Independent,  vol.   63,  July  25,  1907,  pp.  195-200.) 
Spread  of  the  commission  plan. 

—8— 


(In  Outlook,  vol.  89,  July  4,  1908,  pp.  495-457.) 
Spread  of  the  Galveston  plan. 

.(In  American  monthly  review  of  reviews,   vol.     36,     Nov., 
1907,  pp.  623-624.) 
Spread  of  the  Texas  idea. 

(In  Outlook,  vol.  8G,  Aug.  3,  1907,  pp.  707-708.) 
Texas  idea. 

In  Outlook,  vol.  85,  April  13,  1907,  pp.  834-835.) 

The  Story  of  the  short  ballot  cities — an  explanation  of  the  suc- 
cess of  the  commission  form  of  municipal  government. 
(Address  Richard  S.  Childs,  Secretary,  The  Short  ballot  or- 
ganization, 383  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York.) 

Three   great   experiments.      (Galveston,    Tex.;    Des   Moines,   la., 
Newport,  R.  I.) 
(In  Independent,  vol.  64,  June  18,  1908,  pp.  1409-1410.) 

Turner,  George  K. 

Galveston:    a  business  corporation. 

(McClure  m.agazine,  vol.  27,  October,  1906,  pp.  610-620.) 

New   American  city  government — The  Des  Moines  plan — A 
triumph  of  democracy  and  its  spread  across  the  United 
States. 
(In  McClure's  magazine,  vol.  35,  May,  1910,  pp.  997-108.) 
Various   articles   regarding   the   Des    Moines    plan   of   city   gov 
ernment     published     from     time     to     time  in  the  Reg 
ister  and  Leader,  Des  Moines  Capital,  Des  Moines  Daily 
News   and   Evening   Tribune,   newspapers    published   in 
the  city  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
Wealth,  Pub.  by  Greater  Des  Moines  Committee,  Des   Moines, 

Iowa. 
Williams,  C.   A. 

Governing  cities  by  commissions. 
(In  World  today,  vol.  11,  Sept.,  1906,  pp.  943-946.) 
Wisconsin  University.     University  extension  division.     Dept.  of 
debating  and  public  discussion. 
Commission  plan  of  city  government. 

Madison:      Pub.  by  the  University,   1908.     6   pp.      (Bulletin 
of  the  University  of  Wisco*nsin.  serial  No.  259;  General 
series.  No.  141.) 
Wise,  W.  W.,  and  Sampson,  Henry  E. 

Articles  favoring  and  opposing  the  Des  Moines  plan. 
(Midwestern,  January,  1910.) 
Wise,  W.  W. 

Article  opposing  the  Des  Moines  plan. 
(Register  and  Leader,  Des  Moines,  la.,  June  3,  1909.) 


The  Following  Cities  Have   Voted  Favorably  Upon  the 

Adoption  of  the  Commission  Form  of 

Municipal  Government 


Montgomery 
Birmingham 

CALIFORNM 
Berkeley      ^^^^^o^^^^a^^^jJ^ 
Los  :^ngeles 
Riverside 
San  Diego 

GOLORADO 
Colorado  Springs 
Grand  Junction 

GEORGM 
Atlanta   {under  consider- 
ation^ 

IOWA 
Des  Moines 
Cedar  Rapids 
Keokuk 
Burlington 
Sioux  City 
Fort  Dodge 

ID:^HO 
Boise 
Lewiston 

K:^^S:AS 
Kansas  City 
Cojfeyville 
Leavenworth 
Wichita 
Hutchinson 


Independence 

:)l7ithony 

Cherry  vale 

Topeka 

Parsons 

Pittsburg 

Emporia 

LOVISMKA 
Shreveport 

M.^SSACHUSETTS 
Taunton 
Haverhill 
G-loucester 
Chelsea 
Boston  {modified) 

MISSOURI 
St  Joseph 

MIKKESOT:^ 
Mankato 

KORTH  D:AKOTA 
Grand  Forks 
Fargo 
Mi  not 
Manden 
Bismark 

XEW  YORK 
Buffalo 
Mount  Vernon 
^ORTH  C:^ROLIXM. 
Charlotte 


—10— 


OKmHOMA 

Houston 

Guthrie 

Palestine 

Ardmore 

Waco 

Muskogee 

Fort  Worth 

El  Reno 

:^ustin 

Tulsa 

El  Paso 

Sapulpa 

Dallas 

Olaremore 

Denison 

Enid 

San  :^ntonio 

Mc:^lister 

Q-reenville 

SOUTH  C:^ROLLY^ 

Sherman 

Columbia 

Beaumont 

SOUTH  D^KOT^ 

TEKKESSEE 

Yankton 

Etewah 

Sioux  Falls 

Memphis 

Huron 

Bristol 

Pierre 

Clarksville 

Dell  Rapids 

Richard  City 

Vermillion 

W:1SHL¥GT0^ 

Rapid  City 

Tacoma 

TEI^S 

WISGOKSIX 

Galveston 

Eau  Claire 

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